NAT. ORDER. 



Gesneriacece, 



AMPHICOME ARGUTA. SHARP-LEAVED AMPHICOME. 



Class XIV. DiDYNAMiA. Order IT. Angiospermia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx, tubular. Corolla^ somewhat tubular. Limb, 

 flve-lobed, which are short. 



Spc. Cliar. Capsules, long, slender, two-valved. Seeds, oblong- and 

 roug-h. Cotyledons, foliaceous. 



This shrub rises to the height of about three feet, sending- off a 

 large number of tough, woody branches ; the calyx is tubular, pent- 

 agonal, angles stifFer than the membranous ciliated sides, five-toothed ; 

 teeth subulate, slighdy hairy ; corolla tubular near the base, ventricose 

 above ; limb five-lobed ; lobes short, rounded, ciliated, imbricate in 

 aestivation ; stamens four, didynamous, with the rudiment of a fifth ; 

 cells of the anthers converging, each furnished about its middle with a 

 small tail-like process ; filaments terminated above in a broad mem- 

 branous process ; stigma bilamellate ; capsule long, slender, silique- 

 formed, two-valved, but only opening on one side, dissepiment free, 

 opposite the valves, bearing on both sides along the margins suspend- 

 ed seeds ; seeds oblong, rough, slightly winged at both ends, and termi- 

 nated in a branch of much divided coma of fine hairs, exalbuminous ; 

 embryo, straight, almond-shaped, radicle above ; cotyledons foliaceous ; 

 corollas i-ed. This is a native of Himalaya. 



Propagation and Culture. This is a beautiful genus, like the 

 rest of the order. A light rich earth, vegetable mould, or a mixture 

 of loam, sand and peat is good soil for the species, and cuttings strike 

 root readily in peat. 



Vol. III. — 158. 



